We were hosting a party this muggy, miserable Labor Day Saturday, and I had a feeling of bemusement as a guest. Upon visiting my basement, I commented, "It's so... eclectic down here." I looked around, and, indeed it could be considered eclectic; there was the ceramic Hotei in his shrine, the poster of Lakshmi and Ganesh side- by- side with posters for "The Hobbit" and the film "Uncle Sam, I Want You Dead." There was the Americana theme throughout, bolstered by the 13' x 25' flag that hung from floor to ceiling, functioning as a wall. We had a microscope, meditation balls, some copies of Mondo 2000, The Album Cover Album, lots of stickers, and a Tobacco-master called Baby Blue. We kept a Mancala board on the table for game time, along with Connect Four and Perfection for when the mood struck us. Yeah, I guess it was eclectic.

Which brings me to Funki Porcini (aka James Bradell). I imagine that he might have a room, or an entire house somewhat like my basement. I stick my head in my 'phones and what do I hear? In one word: eclectic. Bradell weaves beats and weird samples into something special-- it's no ceramic Hotei, but it's good. Who does it remind me of, you ask? Well, I'd have to answer "they sound a little like their supr- phat labelmates, Coldcut." I do not dispense this comparison without serious consideration, though. A producer, DJ or musician has got to go far, far over the top to get the Coldcut comparison, and Bradell has done just that with The Ultimately Empty Million Pounds. To further the Coldcut comparison, Funki Porcini tends more toward the ambient, chillout side of the spectrum. He's not so frenetic or crazy n' spazzed out; more jazz- influenced and mellow than much of the Coldcut I've heard.

Don't get me wrong, there are tracks on The Ultimately Empty Million Pounds that are straight- up jams that don't fall far from the Fatboy Slim tree of Big Beat. Big Beat, you ask? Well, sort of, if you can ignore the enrichment by those wacked eclectic samples I mentioned before. Wait! Is that Bob Barker? Wait! Is that the sound of a bumblebee? Wait! Is that the sound of an educational video? Yes, yes, and yes.

Which brings me to the tracks that grab the attention of everybody I've played this record for thus far: "Reboot" and "123,3,4." These are the closest- sounding tracks to our boys Coldcut, and they're both wry and wicked. Samples of a 50s- era music instructor explain drum beats breaking up drum beats, and crazy trumpet samples and horn blasts jolt you out of your seat. It might not seem like much, but Bradell hit paydirt with this one. He breaks it down, builds, and then breaks it down again. These are delicious, eclectic tracks that even Hotei could admire.

Other standouts include "Rockit Soul" with its mild drum-n-bass flavor underneath layers of slow synth tones and stretched samples. "Live Fast" teases the listener with almost- happenin' breaks interspersed with suspense- building tempo changes moving from slow to fast and back again. One of the mellower tracks, "English Country Music" could be at home on an A.D. comp disc, but instead offers a moment of chillitude just as the pace approaches frenetic.

It's eclectic, alright, and it's good. I don't dispense comparisons to Coldcut to just anybody, but James Bradell has done well for us. Thank you, James, and I will rub Hotei's belly on your behalf this evening.

-James P. Wisdom